Eating better, feeling worse
 

I guess you're not eating enough chocolate--it hits the pleasure center of the brain.
Maybe if we're all high on chocolate, we won't care if we're tired, dizzy or stiff...;)

Hi Brain,

Sorry you're not feeling well! Maybe like Debbie suggested, you need to add a regular dose of chocolate?

I have dessert after lunch and supper each day. Two Hershey's Nuggets with almonds. The dark chocolate is good because of the flavanol antioxidants (just read the package) and good for your mood, and the almonds are good for a lot of different things!

Also, the pain and stiffness could be spasticity from the cold weather. Mine gets a lot worse in the winter. I take Baclofen 10 mg 4x a day for it. Gentle stretching exercises can help too. I think there's even a brochure you can download from the NMSS website that shows some good stretches.

Also, remember that springtime and gardening is just around the corner, and that's sure to help too! :hug:

Man! I liked the original diet but would add a lot more meat (red meat) to it for the protein.

Maybe you are deficient in some vitamin/mineral. I don't know. I kinda follow my wife's Weight Watcher meals but with my own twist. We go out to dinner sometimes three times a month.

I'm over weight but primarily because of my inability to be "active" in exercising. I've tried many weightloss diets and programs. The only one that really worked for me and was tolerable was Isagenix 9 Day Cleanse. Chocolate shakes, wafers, supplements, and appetite cleansing for two days. I lost 18lbs in the 9 days. I was thrilled.

I degress. Maybe you should consult a nutritionist and get a specific diet worked up just for you. I couldn't hurt.

Congratulations for going for it and sticking with it.

Maybe your body is missing the fast food?

What veggies and fruits have you been eating, is it possible you need something from a (healthy) food you havent been eating?

Maybe there's some vitamin or other nutrient that your body needs that you havent been getting from the healthy foods you're eating now.

I like the chocolate advice myself!!!

Seriously, you may be deficient in some area. Maybe an appointment with a dietitian would do you good.

Except for the coke a day, I think you are doing really good on your eating!

Maybe the weather is affecting you like Ewi said.

Have you had a physical with the PCP lately? All the bloodwork? Maybe it's time for a checkup....

Meanwhile, work on that last coke! Switch it for some chocolate - dark! Serious!

:D

Good idea about the bloodwork. Maybe she's anemic?

Even with the bits of fatigue that I've had since developing MS, I've never had fatigue quite as bad as I had when I had mononucleosis in the mid90's and was really anemic during that time.

I dont think it's a good idea to be suggesting treatments like a liver cleanse to people. Not everyone needs to do that, plus you dont know if that wouldnt cause her more of a problem.

What she needs to do is go to a doctor and have bloodwork and/or a physical to see if she's deficient in something, or if she's anemic. She could be having an exacerbation and that could be what's causing her problems.

The only people who should be suggesting treatments are doctor's who have the necessary training and equipment needed for diagnosing conditions. (sorry...took a medical ethics course for my medical transcription classes and am taking what I learned pretty seriously, I dont even suggest Tylenol to other people who have headaches anymore)

"You'd think I'd feel so much better. Or look better, something - I should get something out of this"

You probably are, less build up in your arteries, less damage to organs resulting in less likelihood of diabitis, heart attack, etc. Perhaps even slowly rebuilding cellular damage in all sorts of interesting places, ;) or at least better preserving those cells.

Some fruits and vegies do better jobs than others, if your vegie is iceberg lettuce than you're not doing much...toss in some almonds and hmmm, I think walnuts, ocassionally, cut the red meat to once a week, and get a CBC.

It might not be feasible for you, but if it is, water aerobics someplace could be a real plus, supplement the wonderful changes you've made wth your food. Maybe your dr. could even do an rx for it as therapy.

Wheeeeee, I'm havin fun!! :D Sorry, I got on a roll and well....feelin silly now.... :o

I believe in eating healthy whether you have a chronic illness or not. It just makes good sense.

But I don't believe that eating healthy will cure (not that you are saying it does, but there are those out there that say "MS can be controlled by diet"), nor do I believe it will slow the progression or even curb some of the symptoms.

Eating healthy will IN THE LONG RUN help you. You'll be less likely to have heart disease, be diabetic, etc. (Obesity has its' own health issues)

That doesn't mean you can't eat fast food once in a while. With anything... Moderation, Moderation, Moderation.

Now come on...let's go get a cheeseburger at 5 Guys :D:D:D

:D
Kim

There really aren't any nutritionalists around here. We just got Chinese take out, if that tells you anything. (And no, I can't eat it with all that MSG, dang it)

We are TOSON (the other side of nowhere)

:D

You reminded me to add that I have gone off a lot of meds that weren't doing much. I'm only on topamax and can't live without that.

Plus, I am taking a multi vitamin and my bloodworks shows I'm not anemic, and all my organs were working like a kid's. My PCP was impressed with all that.

For all what's wrong with me, I look good on a petri dish.

:D

As for fruit, I don't like apples (Except the ones I grow) and pears, but I eat lots of grapes, pineapple, mandarin oranges or stuff like that.

And I like veggies. I eat tons of tomatoes, onions and peppers - at least 4-5 times a week. I did today. Peas, brussle sprouts, carrots (raw, yum!) even spinach.

I always feel worse when it's cold too. Looking forward to spring.

I just worry cuz last year I could barely keep up with the garden and I feel way worse this winter than last winter. If it keeps on like this I won't be able to garden much and I want MY tomatoes and peppers.


Maybe just wait and see if I feel better when it warms up? Maybe my arteries are still unclogging?

The only thing I would like to add to Erin's post is that the doctor who does advise should be previed to the patient's medical history as well as current history....